Pregnant Women Aren't Heeding No-smoking Rule

August 18, 1987|By Los Angeles Times

Despite a bounty of campaigns to persuade women not to smoke while they are pregnant, a new study has found that the message is not sinking in among younger, less-educated women. In fact, between 1967 and 1980, the proportion of white women under 20 who smoked during their pregnancies actually went up. The finding, said researchers at the National Center for Health Statistics, has disturbing implications for the fight against low birth weight -- a key factor that has stalled attempts to reduce U.S. infant mortality.

During the 13 years in question, government researchers found the smoking rate during pregnancy among whites under 20 rose from 36 percent to 39 percent. The rate stayed the same -- 27 percent -- among young blacks. Smoking rates were highest for women who had fewer than 12 years of education. The results were published in the American Journal of Public Health.

In view of the failure of programs aimed at pregnant smokers, the researchers said they simply don't know what strategies will work.